The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-04-18
GALLOWSES.

Liz left the chimney and crawled
back to her place beside the aims
house keepers wife. The faint spark
OF life they had been watching since
the dull winter night closed in was
Pickering STILL though the old steeple
clock had just tolled one, and the
wood on the queer black andirons had
dropped into embers on the hearth.
"It's slow work." whispered the
keepers wife. 1--WE might slip down
stairs for cup OF something warm
while she sleeps, and never be missed"
and the two stole noiselessly from the
room. The dull cracking OF brand as
1t broke and fell on the hearth was the
only sound left behind them; but the
ewes the keepers wife had said were
sleeping slowly unclosed-soft brown
eyes and fair young face-how had they
ever come into such place? A slen
der hand busted itself tremblingly at
q ribbon that had escaped the sleepy
watchers eyes-a ribbon with some
ching hanging from it that cleaned in
the flicker from the hearth, and a
voice called softly, "Phill"
A child stirred quickly in its sleep
then rose and came quickly to her
side.
"My darling, Kiss me good night
once more 1t Is the last time, and be
quick" for the kitchen door below
creaked again-the keepers wife and
Liz were coming back. "Good night,
my darling" and the trembling fingers
fastened the ribbon round his neck,
"and remember! Be always good and
brave for my sake, and for the dear
Christ's.
They've neither OF 'em stirred"
whispered the keepers wife. eve
might have had another cup and no
one the wiser"
One by one the dark winter days
slipped away; grass and violets began
TO appear; every one felt like beginning
life over again, and so did Miss Judith
Pophurst with the rest. 1t took q
GOOD deal to stir Miss Judith to such
o. point, but when she did once make
up her mind to anything she was
ready for it, and she marched with q
firm step to her bureau drawer. There
were queer things in that bureau; it
seemed to have the same taste Tor old
ways as Miss Judy herself, and out
came long yellow straw bonnet that
poked hands length over her face,
a round silk mantilla that reached
Just to her waist, a peaked, green par
asol and a pair OF black lace mitts.
There was something else, too, that
glttered as she lifted up the mantilla,
and Miss Pophurst shut the drawer
very quickly when she saw that. That
was Tom sword. How proud she
mad thought all her life she was going
TO be with Tom-just the same as n
son to her. but when at last that end
less war was over his colonel sent his
sword home to Miss Pophurst, and
that was all.
Miss Judith was quick walker, and
that yellow straw and peaked para
sol flashed along the sidewalk like the
turn OF kaleidoscope till the rap of
the sharp knuckles gave the aims
house keepers wife u start
"Miss Pophurst," she announced,
grimly. Iheardyou had boy here"
"The lands sake, yes; and have had,
as you might say, for some months
past"
ado ycu want him?" asked Miss
Pophurst crisply, with a snap oil her
black eyes.
The keepers wife answered with a
significant little cough.
"Then, do" said Miss Pophurst,
stepping in with one loot. 81 want
somebody to take care OF my COW,
and'-a glitter from the hastily-shut
drawer seemed to tremble before Miss
Judith's eyes as she added-"and to
love-"
The next day was a busy one with
Miss Pophurst; she had made up her
mind again.
THAT child's going to have decent
clothes on his back Ridiculous tog-
gerry he's got on" And the boards OF
the attic floor creaked, as with lips
drawn very tight she marched over
them to a trunk that had not been
opened since Tom went to the war.
Her fingers trembled. but what she
had TO 10 she would do quickly, and
almost before the creak had died away
she was seated in her rocking-chair
again with one OF Toms full suits in
her lap and a paper pattern she had
used for HIM twenty years before in
her hand.